Commander goes on walking tour to look at graffiti, panhandling and other issues community members say they’re concerned about

When San Diego police Capt. Andy Mills took a walk in Ocean Beach last week, it was not to take in the scenic ocean vista.

The commander of the department’s Western Division wanted to hear and see firsthand what residents and business owners thought were the most pressing issues they faced in town.

And they had plenty to say on the one-hour afternoon stroll as they took a circuitous route from Bacon Street down busy business-lined Newport Avenue to the beach and back pointing out problems along the way.

“This is what we have to deal with,” said Craig Gerwig, owner of the Newport Avenue Antique Center, as he gestured at a young, shirtless man asleep against a tree, oblivious to the people looking at him.

Group members said the young transients, who they refer to as “urban campers,” are drawn to the laid-back beach town and can be aggressive panhandlers who intimidate locals and visitors alike. They said the campers bring their bad habits with them.

“Drugs, drinking, I see it all,” said Gerwig, an Ocean Beach native. He said he tells customers at his store to drive to a nearby restaurant he recommends so they don’t have to walk by the panhandlers.

“And here we go again,” he said, pointing at yet another man sleeping near the pier, using a backpack as a pillow.

Jim Musgrove, a member of the Ocean Beach Town Council and a 27-year resident of the community, echoed Gerwig’s concerns.

“We have to get these urban camper kids under control,” he said, adding that he thought Mills’ boots-on-the-ground approach was “fantastic.”

“Walking around seeing it firsthand is a lot different than just getting a radio call,” Musgrove said.

Mills stopped and introduced himself as he and Lt. Natalie Stone, Sgt. Jack Knish and Officer David Surwilo talked with people they met along the way.

The effort is one of the many ways that San Diego police command staff members interact with their constituents.

The captain took pictures of the graffiti that marred the stairs near the tide pools at the foot of Niagara Avenue, shook hands with onlookers and high-fived some young boys sitting on a sea wall.

“My priority for this command is to affect the quality of life,” said Mills, who has been on the force since 1983.

A captain for the last year and a half, he previously headed up the department’s Eastern Division, where he also conducted community walks, before being transferred to his current assignment in Western Division about a month ago. He said the walks allow him and his officers to see directly what community members deal with on a day-to-day basis and get a better understanding of their needs.

“What we are trying to do here is be part of the neighborhood,” Mills said.

Mills said he planned to conduct walks in every neighborhood in his division. The next one is scheduled for Thursday in Linda Vista.

At a debrief after the exercise, Mills went over the participants’ concerns and said his officers would target bad behavior with education and enforcement while balancing the overall needs of the community.

He invited members of the public to contact him with questions or concerns.

“I’m optimistic that these guys are going to make an impact,” Jim Musgrove said.

More information about the community walks can be found at the division’s Facebook page at
utsd.us/159hCxI.